Business Travel, Downtown Toronto, Entertainment, Lifestyle talk

TGIF – Best Toronto Bars on a Friday Night

March 18, 2016

Nothing moves slower than the minute hand on the clock when you are waiting for your shift to end and the weekend begin. Even if you love your job, Monday to Friday is a long time to spend in the office and when your workday is over you will be in the mood to kick back with a few beers in a chilled out atmosphere.

So what are some of the best Toronto bars where you can celebrate the beginning of the weekend and have a fantastic Friday night? Here are a few great options:

The Bottom Line

Meet your buddies at the Bottom Line at Front and Yonge, which is a very popular spot for the after work crowd on Fridays. It is located in the Financial District of Toronto only steps away from Union Station or your furnished apartment at 300 Front Street West, so the location couldn’t be more convenient for an after work drink if you are working downtown. Watch the sports games on the big televisions and enjoy a beer and a snack – you’ve worked hard this week so you deserve it!

Hemingway’s

This chilled out patio bar and restaurant features live music from 10pm every Friday night, so it’s the perfect place to relax at the end of the week. It has a great outdoor area and on a sunny Friday afternoon you will see plenty of Torontonians hanging out and soaking up the sunshine. It’s named after the famous writer of course, who we all know loved to drink in his time.

The Horseshoe Tavern

The Horseshoe Tavern is one of the most well-known bars in Toronto and a long standing favourite in the nightlife scene. Since it opened in 1947 several fantastic bands have graced the stage on a weekend, from Blue Rodeo to The Police to Stompin’ Tom Connors, The Strokes, the Rheostatics, Joel Plasket and the Barenaked Ladies. Usually the chilled out front bar is where you will hear the lesser known acts, while the back bar hosts the major big name acts.

Track & Field

Bring your friends to this fun bar and you can enjoy the top notch selection of cocktails while playing lawn games, such as Bocce Ball. Mixologist Jesse Borg serves up drinks that are just as delicious as their names are cheeky.

These are just a few of the best Toronto bars to check out on a Friday night, so that you can unwind from the week and get the weekend off to a great start!

Business Travel, Fitness and Health, Lifestyle talk

How to Be More Productive on a Business Trip

March 15, 2016

Productivity thrives on routine. Many people find themselves most productive when they set up a routine, good habits and a working environment that benefits them. However, when you are on a business trip and you are in different surroundings it can be difficult to stay productive.

Here are some tips that you can keep in mind to be more productive on a business trip:

Business Trip Productivity Tips

Make sure that you have some work that you can do without being connected to the internet, such as emails you can write offline or word documents you can work on. If you are stuck in transit without a Wifi connection you can still be getting work done.
If you have established routines at home that help you stay productive, such as waking up at a certain time and getting energized with a session of yoga, bring these routines with you on your business trip whenever possible. These simple things will remind you of a normal working day and will help you to become more productive no matter where you are. Whether you are staying in a furnished rental in Toronto or apartment, the building amenities are available for you to take advantage of including fitness centres or swimming pools.
Being productive starts with planning, so create a list of goals and objectives you intend to accomplish during your trip and then break them down into smaller and more manageable tasks.
Get as much sleep as possible. You are much less productive when you are tired, so turn off the television and get to bed early when you can.
Make the most of the hidden pockets of time that happen throughout your business trip. You can listen to informative podcasts while waiting for the train, get some work done on your laptop while in transit and make business calls while walking from your furnished apartment to the conference centre.
Use apps to your advantage. There are many apps that are designed to help busy people be more productive and get more done. Here are a few that you might find useful.
Think strategically about keeping your electronics charged up, so that you won’t have to waste any valuable working time because you don’t have any battery left. Many airports and train stations will have plugs and charging stations, so keep up your battery topped up when you can.
Staying in a furnished apartment rather than a hotel can really help you be more productive. You’ll have a separate working and sleeping area, so you won’t have to sit on the bed while you work like you would in a small hotel room.

Being efficient on the road can be a challenge, but with these tips you can be in your most efficient state when you are on a business trip and get lots of work done!

Energy Conservation, Fitness and Health, Lifestyle talk

How to Conserve Energy in Your Condo

March 7, 2016

Energy costs have been rising dramatically and there seems to be no relief in sight. If you live or rent a condo or even a furnished condo in Toronto, here are some tips that will help you conserve energy in your condo, which will be beneficial for your budget as well as for the environment.

Cut Down on Air Leakage
Take a look at your condo and see if there are any areas where air can escape, such as through holes and cracks in the windows, floors and ceilings. A condo with drafts will require more energy to heat and keep cool, which really adds up. If you seal up these cracks you will see a difference in your energy usage.

Use Energy Efficient Appliances
When you are choosing appliances for your condo, make sure that you look for energy efficient ones that are designed to use less electricity and water. They might be slightly more expensive at the outset, but the savings that they offer you over their lifespan are significant. DelSuites furnished apartments are located in Tridel Built Buildings and some of these new buildings are equipped with Energy Star high efficiency front loading dishwashers and washers.

Take Advantage of the Sun
The sun offers you free lighting and heating, so take advantage of it as much as possible. Open the curtains on a sunny winter day on all south, west and east facing windows in order to warm up your apartment without having to turn up the heater. Don’t turn the lights on during the day when you can open the window instead.

Reduce Laundry Loads
Another way to conserve energy in your condo is to cut down on the number of individual loads of laundry you wash by filling the washer completely. However, avoid overloading the washer because the clothes might not get fully clean and will take longer to get dry. Consider hanging up clothes to dry if the weather is nice rather than using the dryer, as it uses a lot of energy.

Turn off Electronics
Many appliances and electronics have a “standby” mode which means that they use energy even when they are not being used. Anyhousehold device with a memory, remote control, clock or timer is using power even when its off – including the microwave and television. It might be a very small amount, but when you have a number of these appliances in your condo they can really add up. Set up a power bar that allows you to deactivate all of your electronic equipment with the flick of one switch so that you can cut down on phantom electricity use.

These are just a few simple ways that you can conserve energy in your condo. They are only small measures, but together they can add up significantly less energy used so that you can save money and protect the environment.

Business Travel, Downtown Toronto, Fitness and Health, Lifestyle talk

Tips for a Healthy Workplace

February 29, 2016

Healthy workers are more productive workers – so what can you do to create a healthy workplace? Here are some tips to ensure that everyone is performing at their best.

Stretch Often
Stretching will help to prevent back, neck and shoulder strain and it will also increase circulation which will improve alertness and brain function.
Encourage all of your employees to take regular breaks from their work and stretch. You might even want to organize a morning stretching session where everyone starts their day with some stretches together.
Take Plenty of Breaks
Working too hard for long hours can cause burn-out and can make your employees tired, fed up and unable to concentrate. They will actually be more productive and alert and able to do quality work if they get regular breaks to recharge.
Create a breakroom area where your employees can go to recharge their batteries. It can have fun games to play, books to read, snacks, water and a few cozy places to sit. If you notice that one of your employees has been working on a project for a long time and they look a little bit tired or overwhelmed, encourage them to take a 15 minute break so that they can return to the work refreshed.
Provide Healthy Snacks
Instead of offering donuts and muffins in the break room and during meetings, why not provide your staff with healthy snacks instead? Sugary food will cause them to crash, but snacks such as fruit, nuts, crackers and vegetables with dip will give them energy to keep going.

Drink Water throughout the Day
Hydration is very important for health and drinking enough water throughout the day will help your employees in a number of ways. It will ensure that they are more alert, their immune systems are functioning well and they are able to concentrate better.
To facilitate your employees drinking more water you can place a water cooler in the office in a location that is convenient for everyone. Also, allow employees to keep water bottles at their desk so that they can sip water throughout the day.
Use Ergonomic Chairs
The human body isn’t designed to sit down for many hours per day and most ordinary chairs will cause a lot of strain on the back and hips. Also, being hunched over a computer monitor and typing on a keyboard without the right support can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.
It is worth investing in ergonomic chairs and keyboards for your office environment for a healthy workplace, as it will make a big difference when it comes to the comfort of your employees. Make sure that the chairs are adjusted to the right height and angle to ease strain on the back and shoulders, as this will be different for each employee depending on their height.

These are just a few of the ways that you can maintain a healthy workplace so that you can perform at your best.

Business Travel, Downtown Toronto, Food & Recipes, Vacation Travel

New Restaurants in Toronto

February 24, 2016

Toronto has an exciting and thriving culinary scene and it draws some of the best chefs in Canada and around the world. There are always new restaurants in Toronto opening up in this booming Canadian metropolis and visiting Toronto means that you get to enjoy the best of its gastronomical offerings.
So what are some of the hottest dining spots in the big TO? Here are a few restaurants in Toronto that have opened up recently and are creating a buzz:

Boralia
What defines Canadian cuisine? Canada’s culture is a mosaic of influences from around the world, but this restaurant delves deep into the indigenous and early history of Canada to serve dishes that are linked to the origins of our home and native land. You can try pigeon pie or tender squab, or perhaps a bowl of buttery mussels smoked in pine needles. The dishes here are full of heritage, so why not give them a try?

Dandylion
Dandylion is the creative project of chef Jay Carter, who offers up a menu of nine dishes that change almost daily. The portions are generous, the meals are fresh and flavourful and there is always an option for vegetarians.

Otto’s Berlin Donor
This new sandwich shop in Kensington Market caters to the Torontonian craving for German street food. Try the delicious Berlin doner, which starts with a circular flatbread and is filled with chicken, veal, lamb, fried halloumi cheese or a vegan mix of zucchini, garlic, peppers, secret spices and onions. There is also the much-loved German street food dish Currywurst, a juicy bratwust sausage topped with a spicy tomato-based curry sauce.

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen
Do you love the spicy, fragrant and fresh flavours of Thai cuisine? This restaurant brings the flavours of Thailand to the streets of Toronto. Northern Thai dishes are the focus, such as crunchy fermented crabs and papaya salad or Massaman curry with tender chunks of beef.

These are just a few of the restaurants in Toronto that have opened up, so why not check them out during your visit when staying in your furnished rental?

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